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Luke 13b: HG Bishop Youssef

Outline

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  • 1-5: Repent or Perish
  • 6-9: The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
  • 10-17: A Spirit of Infirmity
  • 18-19: The Parable of the Mustard Seed
  • 20-21: The Parable of the Leaven
  • 22-33: The Narrow Way
  • 34-35: Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

Repent or Perish

1:120:30

122 And ThereHe werewent presentthrough atthe thatcities seasonand somevillages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who toldare Himsaved?”

about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answered andHe said to them, 24 “DoStrive youto supposeenter thatthrough thesethe Galileansnarrow weregate, worsefor many, sinnersI thansay all other Galileans,to becauseyou, theywill sufferedseek suchto things?enter and will not be able. 3 25 IWhen tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whomonce the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

  • Who were these Galileans?
    • According to St Cyril, these were followers of Judas the Galilean, who is mentioned in Acts 5:37
      • Acts 5 is when the high priest and council came together to imprison the apostles and Gamaliel stood up and reminded them of many who rose up before the apostles and perished... if this is from God, let them be lest you stand against God. If it is from men, then it will come to nothing.
      • One example he gives is "Judas of Galilee rose up in the daysMaster of the census,house has risen up and shut the door, and drewyou awaybegin manyto peoplestand afteroutside him.and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He alsowill perished,answer and all who obeyed him were dispersed." (Acts 5:37)
      • Judas the Galilean taught that no one should be called "master" or "lord" and they refusedsay to callyou, ‘I Caesar,do Roman Emperor, "Lord"
      • So Pilate was enraged, sent a band of soldiers, and punished them by slaying them when they came up for Passover... so as they were coming to offer the Passover Lambs, he killed them and mixed their blood with the blood of the Passover Lambs.
    • Why did they tell Him about this?
      • They wanted the Lord to condemn Pilate as cruel and vicious, so they could report Him to Pilate and get rid of Him
      • Or maybe He would approve what Pilate did and this would be a good opportunity to criticize Him and bring Him in contempt with the people
      • Or tonot know Hisyou, thoughtswhere about those who were slain... were they wicked or not? Would He pass judgment on them or not? Would He consider their death as the right punishment or not?
  • The Lord knew their tricks... He neither approved nor condemned Pilate. He acknowledged their sins, but without condemning them but rather by saying theyyou are not considered greater sinners just because they were taken like that
    • The Lord answered the indirect question indirectly
    • He turned the question of "why did this happen" to be "what does this mean to me"
      • Why did God allow this person to die in this way?
      • Why did God allow this pandemic?
      • This isn't the right question! But rather... What does this mean to me?
  • What does this mean to me?
    • Unless you repent, you will perish
    • I can die at any moment... so I need to be ready.
  • The Lord Spoke about Two Things
    • An evil done by a ruler
    • A natural disaster
  • Why do bad things happen to good people?
    • We usually think that people are either good or bad, and God will allow good things to good people and bad things to bad people... and we always ask "why do bad things happen to good people"
    • The Lord answers that question...
    • They were not more guilty than others. All of us are sinners and guilty. Unless we repent, we will perish.
    • When you see such tragedies, it will be an opportunity for you to examine yourself, continually change yourself, respond with humble repentance for my own sins.
  • In the Greek, two words are used for "repent" 
    • In verse 5 - once you stop a sin you don't go back to it
    • In verse 3 - a continuing repentance or a life of repentance

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

14:46

6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?from,’ 8 26 Butthen heyou answeredwill begin to say, ‘We ate and saiddrank toin him,Your ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around itpresence, and fertilize it.You taught in our streets.’ 9 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And ifindeed itthere bearsare fruit, well. Butlast ifwho not,will afterbe thatfirst, youand can cutthere itare down.’first who will be last.”

  • TheJourneying pointtoward of this parable is to show the long-suffering of God for the sake of our repentanceJerusalem
  • "Lord, are there few who are saved?"
    • This question is a concern for many people and everyone asks "who will enter the Kingdom and who will not?" and "Is it only the Orthodox?"
    • Many people wonder about the Salvation of others
  • The Narrow Gate
    • From the beginning of God's relationship with man, through the gift of free will, man has always had the choice between two paths (two gates, two doors)
    • To go the way of obedience to God, or to go their own way
    • Deuteronomy 30:15-20
    • If you choose to obey the Lord, you will live. But if you choose your own desires, that is the way to death.
  • Christianity before it was called that was called "The Way"
  • Strive
    • The gate is narrow and the way is different
    • Strive means "agonize"
    • Fight the good fight
    • Win the race
    • Narrow = you can't bring with you anything that's unnecessary
      • In old monasteries, the door of a cell was narrow in height and width
      • Forsake love of money, love of pride, love of pleasure, self-centeredness, hypocrisy
      • You cannot enter if you are carrying those things with you
    • Shut the Door = Differentiate between:
      • Those who pretend to be godly
      • Those who were religious church-goers
      • Those who know Christ and do His will
      • Those who were seeking to enter, and those who were striving to enter
    • Discipline yourself
    • The door is open right now - this is the time to repent and accept the Lord's invitation to enter. The time will come when it will be too late.
  • Eating and drinking, hearing His teachings - none of that will help you if you don't strive
  • So if they "depart from Him" where do they go?
    • A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth
    • Hell, The Lake of Fire
    • And you will see others entering the Kingdom of God
  • The surprise on Judgment Day
    • If you lived in the time of Christ, you would say Judas will enter the Kingdom and the thief crucified with Christ, would not
    • There are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last
      • Those who we consider first in the Church who will be last; those who we don't consider, or we think of as last, who will be accepted first
      • Israel was the first nation that believed in God... God said "Israel is my firstborn" - but was rejected. And the Gentiles, who were last, became first
  • In the Kingdom of Heaven you will find people from all parts of the earth
    • From every nation, people, tribe, and tongue
    • Without number
  • What is Heaven Like?
    • A place of rest ("sit down in the kingdom of God")
    • A place of company ("Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets")
    • A place with people from all over the earth
    • A certain place ("They will come")
      • Many people nowadays try to say "heaven and hell are not a place, it's a condition or state of mind"
      • It's a place. Not a physical place, but a place nonetheless

God31 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants usto kill You.”

32 And He said to bearthem, “Go, fruittell inthat ourfox, life‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

  • Seems weird that the Pharisees would be concerned about Christ's well-being
    • TheMaybe fruitthey showsmade what kind ofup a personthreat youto areget Him to leave
    • TheThey figmay treehave wasbeen fruitless
      • offended
    • Theby figHis treewords symbolizes Israel... God's chosen people who considered themselvesabout the elect,salvation butof borethe no fruitsGentiles
  • 3Jesus' Yearsresponse is bold
    • SomeCalling sayHerod it"fox" representsbecause He knew the threecruelty majorof erashis inheart Jewishand history:his Patriarchs, Judges, Kings... God was longsuffering with themlove for allshedding those periods and waited on them the entire OTblood
    • SomeHis sayresponse is that "I have a mission to do and I will continue to do it representsregardless of the Lawthreat of the danger"
    • With "today, tomorrow and the Prophets,third withday", He indicates that His mission will be over soon and points to His Resurrection (the third year being the Messiah
    • Some say it represents the three yearsperfection of MinistryHis of the Lord Jesus Christ
  • The Certain Man represents God the Father; the keeper of the vineyard represents God the Son
    • Dig around and fertilize it represents the sacraments - Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance and Eucharistministry)

AJesus SpiritLaments ofover InfirmityJerusalem

23:30

10 34 Now“O HeJerusalem, wasJerusalem, teaching inthe one ofwho kills the synagoguesprophets onand thestones Sabbath.those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 11 35 AndSee! Your behold,house thereis wasleft ato womanyou desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

  • This story is only mentionedcomes in the Gospelname of St Lukethe Lord
  • St John Chrysostom says that Christ was teaching in the synagogues peacefully (i.e. He was not against the Law, but came to fulfill the Law)... He was still permitted to teach in the synagogues
  • The woman
    • She used to go every Sabbath to the Synagogue
    • She had faith, which is a prerequisite for healing
    • She didn't come with any expectation or request, but rather she came to the synagogue to be taught... spiritual benefit. And the Lord did not just give her the teaching, but also healed her. ("But!’ seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
  • Power of God
    • The woman did not have any strength to be healed, she was possessed by a demon who had control over her and her will
    • The Lord will manifest His power and break the bondage and give deliverance from Satan's hand, but it requires the desire, first, of the sinner to repent
    • Even if you doesn't have the strength or the will to repent, if you have the desire to repent, the Lord will give strength

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

  • He was afraid to confront the Lord Jesus Christ, so he looked at the assembly instead. He tried to rebuke the Lord indirectly
  • The Lord did not respond to him in gentleness and confronted him because he rebuked the assembly... the woman did not even come to be healed!
  • The Lord gives many reasons to show mercy on this woman and heal her
    • Woman is made in the image of God
    • Daughter of Abraham
    • Woman of faith
    • Afflicted and bound by Satan... every day is a good day to oppose Satan!
    • She was afflicted for 18 years... long enough to suffer greatly
  • The Lord wanted to heal the people and give them a healthy relationship with God
  • The healing of the woman was a proof that the Kingdom of God is here and upon us

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

  • TheseO parablesJerusalem, areJerusalem about
      how
    • When the KingdomLord ofrepeats a name twice it indicates great emotion
    • The Lord has longed for Jerusalem's repentance and restoration to communion with God will- expandbut they rejected Him
    • When He sent the Twelve, He told them "don't go to the restGentiles" but "go to the lost sheep of the whole worldIsrael"
    • JustHe came unto His own and His own did not receive Him
    • He wanted them to know His love - like a smallhen, mustardHe seedis grew into a large tree, so also the Kingdom of God will grow and expandwilling to includegather thethem wholeunder worldHis (from all nations and all countries) in the Church
    • The Kingdom of God started as Jesus and a few followers... and it seems unlikely and improbable that it would spread across the whole world

    The Parable of the Leaven

    20 And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

    • A little bit of leaven can cause an amount of dough to expand in size... in the same way.
    • The teaching of the Gospel of Salvation causes the Kingdom to expand and become much greater in size
    • Three measures of meal:
      • Number three is a symbol of completeness
      • St Cyril of Alexandria: Body, Soul and Spirit
        • The believers wings
      • StHe Ambrose: The leaven ispredicted the Lorddestruction Christ,of the woman is the Church, and we are the flourJerusalem
        • Christ"Your leavenshouse usis byleft givingto usyou Hisdesolate" qualities.- The Temple will no longer be the dwelling place of God
        • He used to call it "My house" (in the OT)
        • But now He tookis ourcalling humanit nature,"Your buthouse"
        • In 70 AD, the Temple was destroyed by the power of His divinity He works in usRomans - notand from then until now, they attempted to changerebuild ourit appearance,many butmany ourtimes. inwardAnd nature.every single one failed. The Lord told them "Your house is left to you desolate"
      • OthersYou shall not see Me until the time comes when you say the"Blessed Law,is Prophets,He Gospelwho
        • Christ was hiddencomes in the Lawname andof Prophetsthe andLord" manifested
          • From the Early Church, the Eucharist is considered the Coming of Christ
          • That's why when Abouna does the Eucharistic Procession, we say "Blessed is He who comes in the Gospelname of the Lord!"
          • "Emmanuel our God is now in our midst"
          • "Behold Emmanuel our God is with us today on this table"
        • "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
          • Psalm 118:26
          • They used to chant this psalm in the Temple during the Passover
          • The same verse was quoted on Hosanna Sunday by the people when He entered Jerusalem

       

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